Ralph Potts puts the Spotlight this Limited-Edition SteelBook set featuring six blockbuster Transformers movies on 4K Ultra HD.
The Transformers 6-Movie SteelBook Collection includes TRANSFORMERS, TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT and BUMBLEBEE. Each film is presented in a separate SteelBook with the feature on 4K Ultra HD Disc plus a Blu-ray Disc™ with legacy bonus content. All six SteelBooks are housed in a magnetic slipcase that also includes a collectible decal and access to Digital copies of each film.
My Thoughts:
I have covered all of the Transformers films in their various releases over the years. I have included some of my comments here.
Transformers: I was a teenager when Transformers were all the rage among young kids in the eighties. I honestly never once watched the cartoon but I can recall the theme pretty well. When this film was released last year I just didn’t have any interest in seeing it in the theater. I mean come on, a movie about Hasbro toys from the eighties? Well there was so much hype surrounding it after release I figured I better get in on it. Well I am glad that I did. Let’s be honest this is not great cinema or award-winning acting, but does it really need to be? This is an entertaining film that features cool special effects, great action, decent characters, and just the right amount of imagination to bring us all back to a time when we believed in things that were not possible.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon: Transformers: Revenge of the fallen wasn’t completely unwatchable, but compared to the original it was largely disappointing. The announcement of Transformers Dark of the moon didn’t hold out much hope for better, so once again I opted to catch it when it made its way to Blu-ray. There was a bit of buzz surrounding the departure of Megan Fox from the cast. I thought she was okay in the first two films but, didn’t see her leaving as a big problem, and it wasn’t. In the third installment we once again see the uprising of the Decepticons and learn of Earth’s detection of an alien landing on the moon (during the Kennedy Administration) which served as the true impetus for the space race and moon landing. There is a tie in to those events in our history as well as the alien war which leads to the discovery of an ancient plot by the Decepticons the key of which lies on the dark side of the moon.
In each of these films things unfold pretty much as you might expect with Optimus and his Autobots squaring off against Megatron and his minions. There are some new faces on both sides of the alien and human equations while many of the characters return from the previous films. Let’s be honest, no one should sit down to watch these movies expecting grandiose storytelling, inspirational performances and original themes. We are in it for the action plain and simple. All we ask is for a fairly cohesive script, credible characters and rewarding mindless entertainment. I think that Transformers: Dark of the Moon manages to deliver that, and is a better film experience than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Transformers: Age of Extinction and The Last Knight: Of the first three films the original remains my favorite as neither of the sequels added anything of significant value to the overall thematic rendering. Needless to say, when I heard that a fourth installment was on the horizon I didn’t hold out any hope despite the new cast. As alluded to earlier I am an action film junkie and can be pretty forgiving of minimalist storytelling especially when there’s plenty of high octane production value. Both of these installments are largely contrived both in concept and execution, although as you would expect from Michael Bay, a few of the effects laden set pieces and stunt work are pretty cool. In most respects though each offers a shoestring plot, hollow characters and predominantly repetitive action sequences that make their bloated 164/154 minute runtimes interminable.
Bumblebee: Suffice it to say, I would consider myself a Transformer film franchise fan, despite its overused, overplayed formula that we’ve seen time and again. When Bumblebee was announced I couldn’t help but feel as though it had the earmarks of a money grab, hoping to reel fans of the popular character in. Well, while that certainly may be true Bumblebee musters enough charm, story and action to qualify as more than something tossed at the wall to see what sticks.
No, it doesn’t break the franchise mold but, its focus on the relationship between troubled teen Charlie and a noticeably younger Bumblebee, both of whom discover what true friendship is, is at the center of what makes the film work. The remaining characters and events depicted within serve only as support in furtherance to that end. It’s important to look at Bumblebee with a fresh take on its subject as there are a few continuity problems with respect to its connection to some things depicted in the Transformer film franchise. None are detrimental. Hailee Steinfeld proves, yet again, that she can anchor a film.
Whether you like Michael Bay or don’t like him, there is no denying that he knows how to make an action film. I tend to like his work, probably because I am an action junkie that loves to see and hear stuff blow up, and few do it better than him. For me, these films represent the kind of popcorn entertainment that I like to revisit from time to time. They don’t have a higher purpose or require strict attention to detail. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.
The six steelbooks are quite handsome, featuring silkscreened character/symbol artwork, front and back, a separate push button placeholder for each disc and a digital code. The set comes housed in a fairly sturdy magnetic slipcase that also includes a collectible decal.
This collection arrives just in time for fans to catch up on all of the adventures before the newest chapter, Transformers: Rise of the Beast, arrives in theatres on June 9th.
Release Date: May 30, 2023
Since these are the same Ultra HD discs previously released, I have included links to my reviews below:
Transformers Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Transformers: Age of Extinction Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Transformers: The Last Knight Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Bumblebee Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Bonus Features:
TRANSFORMERS
Disc 1 - 4K Ultra HD
• Feature Film
• Commentary by director Michael Bay
Disc 2 – Blu-ray
• Our World
• Their War
• More Than Meets The Eye
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Disc 1 - 4K Ultra HD
• Feature Film
• Commentary by Michael Bay, Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Disc 2 – Blu-ray
• The Human Factor: Exacting Revenge of the Fallen
• A Day with Bay: Tokyo
• 25 Years of TRANSFORMERS
• NEST: TRANSFORMER Data Hub
• Deconstructing Visual Bayhem
• Deleted/Alternate Scenes
• The AllSpark Experiment
• Giant Effing Movie
• Linkin Park – New Divide
• The Matrix of Marketing
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
Disc 1 - 4K Ultra HD
• Feature Film
Disc 2 – Blu-ray
• Above and Beyond: Exploring Dark of the Moon
• Uncharted Territory: NASA’s Future Then and Now
• Deconstructing Chicago: Multi-Angle Sequences
• The Art of Cybertron
• The Dark of the Moon Archive
• The Matrix of Marketing
TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
Disc 1 - 4K Ultra HD
• Feature Film
Disc 2 – Blu-ray
• Bay on Action
• Evolution Within Extinction—The Making of TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
• Just Another Giant Effin’ Movie
• A Spark of Design
• T.J. Miller: Farm Hippie
• Trailers
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT
Disc 1 - 4K Ultra HD
• Feature Film
Disc 2 – Blu-ray
• Merging Mythologies
• Climbing the Ranks
• The Royal Treatment: TRANSFORMERS in the UK
• Motors and Magic
• Alien Landscape: Cybertron
• One More Giant Effin’ Movie
BUMBLEBEE
Disc 1 - 4K Ultra HD
• Feature Film
Disc 2 – Blu-ray
• Feature Film
• Sector 7 Archive
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Outtakes
• Bee Vision: The TRANSFORMERS Robots of Cybertron
• Bringing BUMBLEBEE to the Big Screen
Final Thoughts:
This Limited-Edition 6-Movie Steelbook Collection presents diehard fans with an attractive offering that makes for a nice keepsake. Those that already own the previous releases, and, are not interested in the collectible packaging, can bypass this as there is nothing new added.
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Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-NZ7 4K Ultra High-Definition Laser Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman color calibration software and Portrait Displays C6 HDR2000 colorimeter from Portrait.com)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Seymour A/V Center Stage XD 2.35.1 100” Wide Retractable Screen
Marantz AV7706 Audio/Video Processor
Emotiva XPA-7 Gen 3 Seven Channel Amplifier
Emotiva XPA-11 Gen 3 Amplifier
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: Apple iPad/Roomie Remote V6 Universal Remote Control
SVS Ultra Tower Speakers (Gloss Finish)
SVS Ultra Center Channel (Gloss Finish)
SVS Ultra Surrounds (Gloss Finish in Bipolar Configuration)
Dual SVS PC4000 Cylinder Subwoofers
Niles Audio In-Ceiling/In-Wall Series Speakers
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
AC Infinity Aircom T8 Component Cooling Systems
